Latest News
CORK, IRELAND -- An Irish research lab is teaming with a major materials maker to develop a material that is reportedly simultaneously semiconducting and transparent.
MINNEAPOLIS -- Nortech Systems has acquired all the intellectual property and assets of Trivirix Corp., a maker of diagnostic medical devices.
DUSSELDORF, GERMANY – In the first quarter of 2010, Henkel generated sales of 3.5 billion euros, up 7.8% year-over-year.
Net income was 266 million euros, up 119.8% year-over-year. Operating profit increased 93.3% to 422 million euros compared to last year.
Adjusted operating profit improved 79.1%. The company took restructuring charges of 31 million euros and recorded one-time gains of 32 million euros.
The firm’s Adhesive Technologies unit reported sales of 1.7 billion euros, up 12.4% year-over-year. The sector posted double-digit organic growth of 14.5%. This is attributed to substantial volume increases.
“Now we are looking forward to a noticeable improvement in our results of more than 15% for the full fiscal year versus 2009,” said Kasper Rorsted, chairman of the Henkel management board.
US$1 = 0.7871 euro
BILLINGSTAD, NORWAY – Top 40 EMS firm Kitron reported first-quarter revenue fell 25.4% to NOK 411.1 million. Lower demand for defense (down 25.5%) and marine (81.5%) products were partially offset by higher demand for data/telecom, industrial (up 8%) and medical (up 21.9%).
JASPER, IN – Kimball International today reported net sales of $282.3 million and net income of $6.3 million for its fiscal third quarter ended March 31.
Sales for the quarter were up 5% year-over-year, while net earnings were up 54%.
SHENZHEN – First-quarter DRAM revenue grew 6.9% sequentially to $9.3 billion, and higher demand is fueling shortage fears, says DRAMeXchange.
Market leader Samsung recorded $3 billion in revenue, up 9.1% sequentially. Samsung’s share slightly increased 0.6% to 32.3%. Hynix’s DRAM sales rose 6.8% to nearly $2 billion, followed by Elpida at $1.6 billion, down 3.7% sequentially.
Benefitting from price and a 17% sequential shipment enhancement, Micron recorded $1.3 billion in revenue, up 24% compared to the fourth quarter.
PSC’s revenue grew 8.3% to $442 million. PSC surpassed Nanya for the No.5 spot. Nanya recorded $425 million in revenue, down 14.4% sequentially.
Winbond announced first-quarter DRAM revenue of $174 million, up 4.8% sequentially, while ProMOS’s revenue grew 37.4%.
Korean vendors’ share increase 0.8% to 54.6%. Japanese vendors’ share declined 1.9% to 17.7%, and American vendors’ share increased 2% to 14.3%, given better-than-average sales growth. Taiwanese vendors’ share was down 0.9% to 13.4% as a result of Nanya’s revenue decline.
MANASSAS, VA – Cleaning materials supplier Zestron reported first-quarter sales were up more than 10% year-over-year on higher demand in North America and Asia.
The company, which is privately held, did not report its sales figures.
“Even though the economy has been slow to recover, we have had an exceptional first quarter,” said Zestron Worldwide president Dr. Harald Wack. “The careful investments we are making in building a globally linked corporate infrastructure, as well as our innovative product technologies, are obviously meeting our customers’ demands. Looking ahead, we are extremely optimistic and excited about further expansion.”
“We are particularly pleased about the rate at which we are adding new customers,” said sales and marketing manager Michael McCutcheon. “By delivering superior technical support, we are well-positioned to further expand our large customer base well into the future.”
CHICAGO – The stabilizing economy is leading to more M&A activity in the EMS sector, a leading sector advisory firm says.
The electronics manufacturing services industry saw 11 deals completed in the first quarter, eight by firms smaller than $150 million in annual sales, Lincoln International said today.
In its quarterly newsletter Lincoln said, “Overall, the economic conditions appear to have stabilized, which has created an opportunity for companies to pursue strategic investments within the EMS sector.”
Seven of the deals were so-called vertical/horizontal convergences, a trend Lincoln says shows a
“willingness” for EMS companies to buy divisions outside their core assembly focus or non-EMS companies expanding into the assembly market.
There was one EMS consolidation and one divestiture, Lincoln said.
By region, three deals took place in Europe, three in North America and four in Asia. One counted as a cross-border transaction.
Separately, Lincoln noted cash conversion cycle times are increasing across all EMS sectors.
WASHINGTON -- The US House Foreign Affairs Committee has approved a bill designed to ban so-called "conflict minerals" -- tin and other ores mined in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
NORTH BILLERICA, MA -- BTU International today reported first-quarter net sales rose 75.3% year-over-year to $17.2 million. The maker of reflow and other ovens said its net loss for period ended April 4 was $300,000, up from a net loss of $4.6 million a year ago.
